Hit-run report not to be released to the public

The Canberra Times [reports](http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?story_id=468542&class=News%2D+Local) that the ACT Police and their minister have refused to publicly issue a report on the hit-run death of Clea Rose.

They say the report exhonerates them finding they acted “appropriately” during the pursuit of a stolen car through the Civic Bus Interchange just after midnight on July 30 last year.

Commonwealth Ombudsman John McMillan, who police said had overseen the investigation, distanced himself from the report yesterday. It had not addressed all his concerns, especially those relating to compliance with pursuit guidelines. He had not signed off on the report.

The Rose family has seen surveillance footage of the incident and has received a copy of the report. They have asked that it be made public.

So, when the Commonwealth Ombudsman refuses to sign-off, and the family have asked that it be made public … why isn’t it?

The police say it might endanger the privacy of witnesses – even if the report was released with their names removed.

Yeh right.

Let’s be totally frank, who honestly believes the police would say or do anything that might cast a bad light on themselves?

It’s like asking the government to admit they’re wrong – it simply won’t happen.

3 Comments

Thurston on 29 Mar 2006 at 12:32 pm

The first problem I have with the ACT Police not releasing this report into the death of Clea Rose, even though they claim it exonerates them, is that we tax payers paid for that report. The police and politicians are supposed to work for us so its actually public domain information.

The second point I have to take issue with is the statement by the ACT Police Minister, Mr Hargreaves that the public did not need to see the report and it was enough for the community to take his word that the police had acted appropriately. The public don’t have to take his word for anything. He’s a politician and has only one thing in mind, that being how to stay in government.

The public has every right to see the report. Mr Hargreaves claim to privacy concerns about witnesses seems facile and simply using a topical issue to suppress the report. It seems doubly stupid to suppress something that is claimed to exonerate the police actions.